The Osborne Brothers, Detroit To Wheeling (Pinecastle Records, 2003)
Eddie and Martha Adcock, Twograss (Pinecastle Records, 2003)
WhiteHouse, WhiteHouse (Pinecastle Records, 2003)
The folks at Pinecastle Records are releasing bluegrass recordings of the finest quality. Recently, we here at GMR received three such discs, all by powerhouses of the genre.
Detroit To Wheeling is one part of a series documenting the musical career of The Osborne Brothers. This, the third volume, is supposed to cover the period from 1953 to 1962. So the liner notes state, anyway; most of the tracks were actually recorded between 1995 and 2002. I presume that the songs heard here were common ones in their repertoire at that earlier time frame, although the notes mention that at least one tune is a more recent composition. So what gives? How effectively is the designated period documented when most of the tracks were recorded roughly forty years later? The version I received is a media sampler; the double-CD version may contain more of the older material. There is a disclaimer of sorts on the back, that older cuts "do not meet today's standards for broadcast use and are included only for their historical significance." That led me to expect some pretty bad sound quality, which wasn't the case, except for one song: "The Hills of Roane County," recorded from a live radio performance in 1957, has a persistent, loud hiss, and the volume tends to decay and swell, making that song unpleasant to listen to. The other vintage tracks sound clean.
I'm quibbling over details, perhaps. The entire disc is full of selections that feature what I consider the classic Osborne Brothers sound: Sonny's banjo, Bobby's mandolin, and of course Bobby's strong tenor voice. The Osbornes' (and their band's) fine vocal harmonies are heard on several tracks; "Rock of Ages" is a gem, no pun intended. One of the older songs is a treasure: in a 1961 live performance, the brothers join some of the Foggy Mountain Boys, and Bobby sings tenor to Lester Flatt's lead on "We'll Meet Again Sweetheart." What luck that someone thought to record that.
Twograss is the latest release from the duo of Eddie and Martha Adcock, although the cover photos depict trios -- Eddie appears twice on the front, and the back shows two Marthas. I suppose it's a joke that I don't get. Oh well, I don't need to get the jokes if the music's good. It is. Eddie's distinctive banjo styling is in top form, especially on cuts like "Something to Be Finding" and "Pretty Redwing." Fans of Eddie's guitar playing won't go away disappointed either; there's plenty of his good lead guitar work. His sinewy picking on "I Am a Pilgrim" is driving and funky, a real treat. Martha's rhythm guitar is steady, and her singing is pretty on the harmonies and strong and sweet when she sings lead. Twograss easily lives up to the high standards set by the Adcocks' previous work.
I get leery when I hear the term "supergroup"; it's a title that bands generally can't live up to (remember Blind Faith?). WhiteHouse (billed "bluegrass's new supergroup") and their debut album prove to be an exception. WhiteHouse is David Parmerley (guitar, vocals), Larry Stephenson (mandolin, vocals), Charlie Cushman (banjo, guitar, vocals), Jason Carter (fiddle) and Missy Raines (bass). I'm not going to list the members' credentials. Odds are that if you've listened to much bluegrass, you've heard some of these folks. WhiteHouse has a classic bluegrass sound. The playing is hot without being overly flashy, polished without sounding mechanical. The instrumental "Uptown Blues" has the fanciest picking, but there's plenty more throughout the album. In particular, I liked Cushman's slow banjo work on "Searching For Yesterday," and Raines' percussive bass solo on "Who Done It?" Then there's the singing; smooth, sweet harmony singing, and both Parmerley and Stephenson are strong leads.
All three recordings are top-notch, in both musicianship and sound quality. They run on the short side, though. The Osborne Brothers release was a radio and media sampler, and as such would be expected to be short. Both of the other recordings ran under thirty-five minutes -- short for a CD. The music is good. Give us more.
[Tim Hoke]
Pinecastle Records has a Web site here. The Osborne Brothers' Web site is here, Eddie and Martha Adcock have a Web site here, and WhiteHouse has a Web site here.
